15 Books to Help Kids Understand the Immigrant Experience

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Powerful stories of the immigrant and refugee experience can help kids understand what people go through when they move to a new country and start new lives. These novels and memoirs for kids 10 and under can help build empathy and sensitivity among readers, and kids from immigrant families can see reflections of their own struggles and triumphs. For more books about the immigrant experience that kids of all ages can enjoy and identify with—from Illegal, a graphic novel that paints a harrowing picture of a refugee crisis, to classics like The Joy Luck Club for older kids—check out the entire list at Common Sense Media.

This is the story of author Yuri Morales’ her own immigrant experience, traveling from her native Mexico to San Francisco, California, with her infant son. In an end note, she makes clear that the book is not about "Dreamers" as we use the word today, undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, but in the sense that all immigrants are dreamers, coming to "a new country carried by hope and dreams, and carrying our own special gifts, to build a better future."

A father's advice to his daughter about her mixed indigenous Mexican and Muslim heritage reads as both intensely personal and widely universal, airily poetic and solidly concrete. The book represents Muslim kids and families in a positive light, providing a mirror for Muslim kids, and a window for readers of all backgrounds.

In This Is Me, an Asian-American teacher describes the journey of her great-grandmother, who came to this country carrying only one small suitcase filled with personal items. This book helps kids dig up their histories and relate them to their own lives and identities in a personally meaningful way.

This moving, haunting story of a young refugee draws its power from its simplicity, as the girl herself tells her own story, observing what's happening around her in ways kids can absorb. The Day War Came is frank and heartbreaking, but gentle. Author Nicola Davies makes clear this kid is like any other.

Through photographs, original poems, and interview excerpts, Russell Freedman tells young readers about the experience of immigrants coming through San Francisco's Angel Island during its operation from 1910 to 1940.

Loosely based on Kelly Yang's experience growing up as an immigrant in America, this powerful, moving tale highlights the importance of tolerance and diversity, making it a must-read for kids. Front Desk takes place in the early '90s, but many of the heartbreaking stories mentioned in the book are still a reality for immigrants and minorities today.

This ambitious, harrowing page-turner is chock-full of historical information, and it succeeds in providing a vivid window onto the lives of three fictional child refugees from different time periods and settings: 1938 Berlin, 1994 Cuba, and 2015 Syria.

This novel about an 11-year-old Afghan immigrant will give readers of all ages sensitive insight into the hardships immigrants experience in their daily lives, especially those seeking asylum from oppressive cultures. And, they will be reminded of how the 9/11 terrorist attacks made the lives of Muslim immigrants even harder.

Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.

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